Utilising exquisite black and white cinematography, rich sound design and a disturbing expression of the extremes of loneliness, Nicolas Pesce’s horrifying first feature The Eyes of My Mother, expertly hijacks your imagination for its own ends, making you ‘see’ its most brutal moments deep in your mind’s eye. During our interview recorded at the London Film Festival, Nicolas speaks about being accepted into the Borderline Films brotherhood, his preference for grounded performances within a stylised aesthetic, and why he loves walkouts at screenings of his horrifyingly dark debut.
The Eyes of My Mother (2016)
In their secluded farmhouse, a mother, formerly a surgeon in Portugal, teaches her daughter, Francisca, to understand anatomy and be unfazed by death. One afternoon, a mysterious visitor horrifyingly shatters the idyll of Francisca’s family life, deeply traumatizing the young girl, but also awakening some unique curiosities. Though she clings to her increasingly reticent father, Francisca’s loneliness and scarred nature converge years later when her longing to connect with the world around her takes on a distinctly dark form.
To me there’s no make up artist in the world who can do the horror that your own mind can.
